to present financial data for the sixteen SWCD’s in Maine. While we are all a little different our total work adds up to quite a bit of conservation. During 2012 the 16 SWCD’s spent nearly $2 million dollars on conservation. The Districts also generated nearly $3 million of addition conservation work through “matching funds”. In addition to that conservation work, our NRCS partners as-sisted their USDA producers with another $15 million.

Kennebec District News 8-9

Somerset District News 11

Tree & shrub information 5-10

Information tid-bits 2

“Off Center” 13

Coming attractions—calendar 14 Con

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Winter

2013

Inside this issue:

If you receive more than

one newsletter, or the

address is wrong, please

contact us and we will

correct the error.

Thanks.

Included in this issue of the Conservation Times is our tree & shrub sale information. This is the time of year to be-gin planning for spring and thinking of the time when you can once again run your hands through the soil. Re-view the materials and get your order and payment to us by March 14th.

Every year we try to offer some of the old standbys in addition to adding new offer-ings from Fedco.

For those of you who have not received a newsletter from us in awhile, the Winter Edition is the only one sent to everyone. The other editions are e-mailed to people who have provided us an e-mail address or they are mailed to those who have provided us a $10 subscription. So… if you still want to receive a pa-per copy through the mail, you need to send us a check.

Check inside for a brief ar-ticle about the Soil & Water Conservation District Day at the Maine Legislature. Carol had a couple good pictures.

On that day we were able

Time to think of spring!

On the web at www.KCSWCD.org

It’s time to order trees and

shrubs for this spring’s

planting.

Kennebec & Somerset County

Soil &Water Conservation Districts

Page 2

District staff can provide additional information and assistance.

We can usually identify other sources of information too. Give us a

call at 622-7847 ext. 3 The following are a few items. . .

2013 Regional Envirothon—This spring the Regional Envirothon will be held at Goodwill Hinckley School in Fairfield on May 2

nd. At

this time we already have nearly 35 teams from 20 different schools signed up for the competitions throughout the State. Those competitions include four regional and the final “State competition”.

ELA Eco-tours [Ecological Landscape As-sociation]—Recently we learned about a number of workshops planned in Massachu-setts focused on gardening in an “eco-friendly” manner. While they are not avail-able here in Maine, some of the materi-als and the presentations are expected to be available over the internet. Check out their website for more information www.EcoLandscaping.org or write them at

Ecological Landscaping Association

841 Worcester Road #326

Natick, MA 01760

You can arrange to get on their newslet-ter mailing list.

NRCS has extended the deadline for applications for On-Farm Energy Initia-tive– USDA Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Juan Hernandez has announced a second signup period for the On-Farm Energy Initia-tive, funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program [EQIP]. Potential applicants should contact their local NRCS office soon to find out if they are eligible for this Initiative. Applications for the second ranking period of 2013 are due at the NRCS offices by close of business on March 15, 2013. This Initiative offers technical and fi-nancial assistance.

Maine’s Compost School—The Maine Ex-tension Service manages a fairly renowned “Compost School” at the Highmoor Farm fa-cility in Monmouth. Even though statewide our waste disposal standard for composting

is not that high, many individuals and organiza-tions are very active. The UMaine Extension service also provides a number of excellent hand-outs to explain how composting works and offers ways to create your own composter and composting system. Check out their website www.composting.org or www.umaine.edu/publications/

Airport Worm Composting—The Charlotte Douglas International Airport in N. Carolina uses nearly two million worms to turn their organic wast into fertilizer i.e. compost. 2.5 tons of daily waste including food, plastic, clothing, and alu-

minum are thrown away. The recycla-bles are pulled out and sold while the organic waste is composted by the millions of “red wig-glers”. Initially I’d heard this on NPR so needed to check it out. Check the website at

www.inhabitat.com/tag/composting They have a number of interesting links for recycling and waste management strategies . We had our in-trepid “cub reporter”, Ken Blazej confirm this story during one of his trips through this airport. Another of their links includes Ithaca, NY’s ef-forts to compost dog waste. Nationally our dogs generate over 10 million tons of dog ‘doo’. Ithaca is collecting and composting their share.

In Auburn, ME—A woman by the name of Mi-chelle Malaragno has started a business that specializes in composting large animals and working with their grieving owners. Her busi-ness, Compassionate Composting, Inc. , started in the fall of 2012. She is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Compassionate Composting or call at 240-1316.

We apologize that some of the resources listed here only have internet connections. If alternative contact information is available we include it.

Page 3

The Conservation Times is edited and produced by the Kennebec and Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation District staff with the assistance of various conservation partners and with the guidance of the Board of Supervisors. Most writing and editing is done by Dale Finseth and Carol Weymouth unless identified other-wise. Frequently information is used from other publications or media sources. The districts do not necessarily agree with nor endorse all opinions included in the newsletter. We try and offer a variety of viewpoints on conservation issues. If you take issue with an article or have suggestions and information for a follow-up or future article, please contact Dale at the Kennebec District. Either call at 622-7847 ext. 3 or e-mail him at Dale@kcswcd.org

Kennebec District Staff:

Dale Finseth Josh Platt Art Grindle

Kennebec District Supervisors: Linda Leotsakos; Chair took office 12/2008 (elected starting 1/2012) Marianne Hubert took office 1/1999 (appointed starting 1/2011) Clif Buuck; Vice Chair took office 1/2008 (elected starting 1/2011) Dan Tibbetts took office 1/2000 (appointed starting 1/2012) Tom Doore took office 1/2010 (elected starting 1/2011—2 yr term)

Associates currently active: Chad Arms Ted Sparrow Ava Coviello

As we move into the spring and summer, the Kenne-bec District is preparing for a couple of new projects. Naturally the tree sale requires some of our atten-tion. In addition to that we are preparing to start a new DEP 319 project which will be focused on conservation work in the Togus Pond watershed. That project intends to de-velop 3-5 Gravel Road Management Plans. These plans are somewhat more thorough and long term than a basic maintenance plan. A Management Plan attempts to focus more energy on the success of the landowners, frequently a “gravel road association”, to establish priorities and budget for a 15 to 20 year period. It doesn’t just focus on the gravel and water flow but on the means to keep up with the impact of stormwater and landuse changes as the landowners continue to use their property in the watershed.

Here at Kennebec County we have teen trying to put together the list of Maine Farm Days loca-tions since it began in 1969. Xandy Brown with NRCS and Dale have been working on collect-ing that piece of history before the verbal history becomes too blurred. At this point we think we have most of the sites except for the years of 1990, 1997 and 2001. If you are able to help us out either give us a call or e-mail us. In the next news letter we hope to share the long history and acknowledge all the farms and farmers who hosted the farming exhibition over the years.

Kennebec news

In the next issue —

Summer initiatives Project details and examples Bulb sale information in July Maine Farm Days history [see below]

Reprinted from Twin Cities Daily Planet in Minneapolis, Minnesota By Brian DeVore, Loon Commons

Teaming with soil microbes: Investing in soil es-

sential to good farm policy

January 11, 2013 On a crisp morning in September, North Dakota farmer Gabe Brown held two handfuls of soil and searched for signs of life—theoretically not a difficult task considering one teaspoon of hu-mus contains more organisms than there are humans in the world. But many of the bacteria and invertebrates that lurk in the dark basement of our farm fields exist visually only in the world of high-powered microscopes. So Brown, a compact ball of energy who can somehow combine references to soil biology, farm policy and animal husbandry in the same sentence, uses a less scientific assessment method to compare and contrast the two handfuls—one from his field, the other from a neighbor’s. “When you grab this soil there is no structure,” says Brown, referring to his neighbor’s soil. In-deed, it has a slabbed, compacted look to it, indicating there isn’t much room for worms and roots to facilitate transfer of water and nutrients. It’s also a lighter color than Brown’s darker soil, which is the consistency of cottage cheese. “If you have this dark color, you know you have organic matter. I look at it as an investment.” It’s an investment in a good crop—just a few feet away stands a field of corn that’s emerged from Brown’s rich soil, and it’s thriving, a rarity this year in a part of North Dakota that has been hit especially hard by drought. But to Brown, that healthy soil represents more than more bushels in the bin. It’s also an investment in his farm’s long-term viability and the future of his entire community—human and natural. The idea that healthy soil is an investment, not just one of many tools, has led Brown and his neighbors to de-velop a farming system that combines some of the most exciting advances in sustainable production sys-tems—conservation tillage, multi-species cover crop-ping, mob grazing and frequent rotations. This system, which is evolving, combines cutting-edge soil science with the desire on the part of natural resource profes-sionals to no longer accept a Band Aid approach to conservation. It also shows how teamwork fueled by a holistic, big picture view of agriculture can produce a farming system that benefits land, farmers and communities.

This entire article is available on line or you can go to the Kennebec District website and select the link. The article itself is at the following website:

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/brian-devore/teaming-soil-microbes-investing-soil-essential-good-farm-policy

Page 4

If you are planning to grow plants, start

with the soil.

The following article is taken from a

Minnesota newspaper.

For the past number of years, I’ve shared my

own household energy use. Here is my house-

hold energy usage for 2012. For those who have

followed the saga of my energy use, the 2012

heating season was about 12% warmer than 2011 so energy use should be lower. That was

certainly born out by the electric heating bill for the apartment which I rent out to others. It was

not so obvious in my own heating oil use. I replaced both of my vehicles last year. The replace-

ment Subaru was used throughout 2012. The replacement pick-up wasn't purchased until the

spring. Total combined mileage remained good. I still need to consider replacing the older re-

frigerators in both my apartment and my part of the house.

To compare annual energy use, I include the Heating Degree Days for the respective year.

HDD data from “WeatherUnderground” source.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Htg Deg Days 7608 HDD 6708 HDD 7601 HDD 7360 HDD 7631HDD 6612 HDD 7139 HDD 6220

HDD

Htg Oil use 760 gal 600 gal 626 gal 611 gal 546 gal 468 gal 616 gal 450 gal

Htg oil/HDD ratio 0.100 0.089 0.082 0.083 0.072 0.071 0.085 0.072

Propane use 102 gal 131 gal 159 gal 132 gal 29 gal 25 gal 20.8 gal 29.4 gal

Electricity use 2763 KWH 2072 KWH 2054 KWH 1881 KWH 1937 KWH 1693 KWH 1836 KWH 1954

KWH

Gasoline use 429 gal 445 gal 523 gal 375 gal 546 gal 526 gal 493 gal 495 gal

Total miles 11,370 10,025 13,130 8,600 13,100 13,775 12,300 12,722

Average MPG 26.5 mpg 22.5 mpg 25.1 mpg 23.8 gal 24.0 mpg 26.2 mpg 24.9 mpg 25.7 mpg

Apt electricity 7300 KWH 7870 KWH 6695 KWH 6875 KWH 6316

KWH

It is even more obvious now that the added insulation in the attic keeps my apartment electric-

ity use lower. The apartment is heated with electricity. In the summer they occasionally use

AC. The new item added last year - Heating Oil Use per Heating Degree Day indicates that my

own oil heat use is fairly consistent.. The smaller the number, the better. This allows compari-

sons between colder and warmer winters to be compared more equitably. I need to be more

precise in tracking my actual heating oil use however.

As we talk about whether it is getting colder or warmer, I should point out the

HDD norm in Gardiner is currently 7,200 HDD annually. That average has begun

to decrease as our winter’s have warmed up. While many people complain about

this winter’s cold weather, I think most have simply forgotten how cold Maine win-

ter’s in central Maine can be. So far this year it has only been slightly colder than

the 2011-12 winter. Most of us are concerned about it the total cost of the energy

we use. When heating oil prices rise 30-60% in a year, a 10% decrease in usage

still costs you more money.

Looking ahead I need to do a couple things. The replacement of the refrigerators is essential.

The next plan is to switch the domestic hot water for the apartment off the electric hot water

heater and connect it to my oil furnace hot water. Overall, I think that would save me money

since an electric hot water heater is very inefficient.

…. Until next year.

Tracking Energy Use and some Energy Savings over the years

Dale Finseth

Page 11

Both the Kennebec and Somerset Districts took part in the Soil & Water District Day at the Capitol Hall of Flags in Augusta. We were there all morn-ing and had the opportunity to meet with and talk to our own legislators in addition to others from around the State. Carol Weymouth is pictured above meeting with Representative Larry Dunphy of House District 88. I’m sure he, like many of our other representatives who took advantage of the Day, left with a far better understanding of the Soil & Water District activities and role in how conservation work gets accomplished in Maine.

Page 12

Somerset County SWCD Employees— Board of Directors— Carol Weymouth, Executive Director Kerry Hebert, Chairperson Laura Suomi-Lecker, Technical Director Alan Haberstock, Vice-Chair Joanne Dore, Admin. Assistant Trainee John Ackley, Treasurer Pam Guerin, Admin. Assistant Trainee Gabe Clark, Supervisor unfilled, Supervisor Contact Information— (207) 474-8324 x 3 info@somersetswcd.org www.somersetswcd.org

Somerset County SWCD is delighted to welcome Joanne Dore as an administrative assistant. Joanne comes to us through the National ABLE! Program, and is a wonderful addition to our office. She'll be providing phone coverage, help with administrative tasks, and assist with fundraisers.

Somerset news

Page 13

The following are just a few suggested conservation topics that we have recently heard

of. The District does not necessarily endorse or plan to support these. We only provide

these ideas as means to help people think “outside the box”. . .

Given that this is our tree & shrub sales edition of the newsletter we have been talking a bit more at the office about this coming spring and the “growing season”. In general we all like to talk about the weather regardless of its impact on growing stuff. Recent years seem to provide us more to talk about. Is that because the weather is different or is it because we simply have more media attention on the weather and the climate!!! At this point I come down on the side that changes are actually occurring, and many of those are right here in Maine.

I’m a fairly serious weather watcher. In the energy article [page 4] you will note that I also collect temperature data and compare one year to the next. The internet, in combination with an excellent system of weather stations, makes that very easy. With recent record high temperatures in the State, it seems that there is plenty of data to consider before deter-mining if our weather is changing.

Are temperatures changing with some sort of consistency? Is precipitation changing or arriving in different forms (i.e. rain instead of snow)? There is lots of data. I’d be more assured if our current decision makers and policy wonks were focused on different ways to explain that data. Instead we seem to have more elected officials and decision makers choosing to disregard information that may be inconsistent with the beliefs they started with. Remember, it took a long time before doctors stopped endorsing cigarette smoking as a health endeavor. Those who presented evidence that the earth was NOT the center of the universe were cast out. Recently it was reported that a municipality along the East Coast had simply “outlawed” any information or analysis which would indicate that the ocean tides were rising along their shorefront. It would be bad for business and property values, I suppose.

Evidence doesn’t always lead where we want to go. In the case of our tree & shrub sale [yes I remembered how this began] we need to pay attention to changes in our environment. Should we expect a longer growing season? Might our August dry conditions last longer? As our average temperatures change will we have different animal and vegetable pests i.e. “invasives”?

Might we actually need to reconsider the impact of our decisions? Even us gardeners have a responsibility.

You mean

the earth is

not flat!?!?!

Kennebec District Board meetings—The 2nd

Tuesday of each month. Contact the District to confirm the time and place. If special accommodations are needed at the meeting, please call to arrange them two weeks in advance at 622-7847, extension 3.

Somerset District Board Meetings—The 3rd Thursday of each month. Contact the Somer-set District to confirm time and place.

Tree order 3/14 deadline—Deadline for get-ting your tree and shrub orders to the district office.

Pick-up of trees you have ordered—Saturday, April 20

tht in Skowhegan, Winslow

and Augusta depending on the site you se-lected.

Maine Farm Days—The 2013 Maine Farm

Upcoming Events

Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District

Central Maine Commerce Center; 21 Enterprise

Drive; Suite #1

Augusta, Maine 04330

(207) 622-7847 ext. 3

www.KCSWCD.org

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Days event is scheduled for August 21 & 22 at Misty Meadows Farm in Clinton.

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID

AUGUSTA MAINE

PERMIT NO. 92

Page 14

Alternate format available. Call the District office to re-quest enlarged type, cas-sette or computer disk.

All programs and services of the Soil & Water Conservation Districts are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or familial status.

Another issue of the Conservation Times

Brought to you by the Kennebec & Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation Districts

February 6, 2013